Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with mouse

Our mouse is a very very very stubborn mouse

oinopaponton — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:56:10 -0800

Ways to make death more appealing to a stubborn house mouse? We caught one mouse in a snap trap a few weeks ago using the peanut butter "appetizer" method mentioned in an earlier post. The friend (or friends) it left behind, however, is proving a bit more clever. It is totally uninterested in our other peanut butter-baited snap traps and apparently has not yet succumbed to the poison we put out a week ago (which promised to kill them in five days).

I don't think we have that many mice, and I kind of think there's just the one left. I've only ever seen one at a time, usually every other day or so. I don't find more than a few poops at a time. It somehow hasn't gotten into our food (we check regularly). While we've plugged up as many holes in the walls as we can, it's a really old house that had kind of a half-assed renovation job. There are holes around the heaters, and probably holes behind the fridge and oven that we can't even get to.

So: Is there a way to make our mouse control efforts more effective? I feel like the little bastard's just mocking us at this point. Will putting peanut butter on the poison pellets work? Is there some other food that a picky mouse will love? I'd like to avoid shelling out the cash for something like the rat zapper, especially if our little buddy will ignore it like he's ignoring the snap trap.

MouseTrapped! How can I make my mouse load faster in Win 7?

newfers — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:12:13 -0800

Why is my USB mouse the last item to load when Windows 7 is finished booting up? Sometimes I have to wait while it recognizes external USB drives, and in the meantime, I have no control over my mouse. Is there a way to change the order which my USB devices load? I suppose I could just haphazardly unplug and re-plug my USB devices to see if it changes the load order, but I suspect there must be a software solution to give my mouse priority over all my other USB devices. You would think it wouldn't make much of a difference, but it does. It makes me feel like my system has crashed for that 30 seconds or so when I see my desktop but have no mouse control.

Hm, that's a weird tasting piece of chicken.

razdrez — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 07:56:20 -0800

So I think I ate part of a mouse. What should I do?
We heated up this foil-packet packaged vegetarian dish last night for dinner, and after a couple of bites, I bit into a piece of meat. I thought my wife had just put some extra food in there, so I didn't think much of it. Then, with a few bites to go, I spit out a tiny bone.

At first we thought it was a stem, but after washing it, I'm sure it's a bone. Then we looked through the rest of it, and found a bigger piece of meat, with what seems to be hair on it. There are small bones within.

I've taken pictures, and the "meat" is in my freezer. I'm definitely writing to the company's HQ, but should I be doing more than that?

We're both seriously grossed out, but I'm assuming that the pasteurization for the foil packaging would kill off any harmful germs. But should we take further precaution?

But I don't have a sideways scroll button!

saturnine — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:35:02 -0800

Is there a Greasemonkey script to turn side scrolling websites into up-down scrolling websites? I view a lot of photographer's websites. Or, I would, if it weren't for the current fad for putting all the images on one line and making me scroll sideways. [random example]

I don't have a scroll button that goes sideways! I do however, have Firefox with Greasemonkey installed. I've tried to google to find a solution myself, but I'm a relative newbie to using this extension and I don't know where to start. Does anything exist that could help me view these websites and not kill my wrists/eyes in the process? Is it logistically too difficult because of the variations in HTML/CSS etc? Please hope me!

I don't know how to deal with this

granted — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:45:46 -0800

There is a half-dead mouse in my room. Instruct me on what to do as if I were a little child. My very excited cat woke me up this morning to show off the seemingly dead mouse he had left in my doorway. I'm not proud, but when I saw it I groggily thought, "fuck this," and went back to sleep for another hour. When I woke up again, it was gone. I theorized that one of my roommates had done the responsible thing and picked it up, or the cat had carried it off again.

I got home this evening and curled up in bed, and then my cat seemed very preoccupied with something in the corner of the room, and then I heard terrified squeaking. My "don't kill the innocent creature" reflex kicked in and I yelled, "NO!!" and sprayed the cat with the spray bottle and he ran off.

So long story short, either the mouse from this morning or a different mouse is half-dead in the corner of my room. I feel totally paralyzed. I can't bear to watch/hear my cat finish it off but I don't want to just leave it there to die a slow painful death. Finishing it off myself is out of the question. I am scared to scoop it up and take it outside, because that just means it will die a slow painful death out of eye/earshot, and that makes me feel like a Good German. I am the only one home and it is almost one am. Tell me what to do, please. This is really embarrassing.

I can't click and drag on my MacBook!

iliketolaughalot — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:44:02 -0800

I can't click and drag! I have a silver MacBook that I got in October. A few days ago, the trackpad stopped working and wouldn't let me click. I restarted, and it works for everything but clicking and dragging. (Does that make sense? I can't highlight text, or make a box to take a screen shot, or do a drag and drop, or anything that requires clicking and dragging.) I plugged in an external mouse to see if that would fix it, and it didn't. I did some googling and someone suggested Main Menu. I tried this and it didn't work. I still can't drag and drop! I would rather avoid the Genius Bar, though I am still under warranty. Can you help?

I need a new wireless keyboard and mouse. Suggestions?

suburbanrobot — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:27:04 -0800

Are there any good "laptop like" wireless keyboards out there? Bonus for wireless keyboard/mouse combos. I have an MS Wireless Optical Desktop Elite keyboard/mouse combo, and I absolutely hate it. The main issue is that the keys are very heavy, and take a lot of effort to push. This slows down my typing and causes a ton of errors. The mouse is pretty bad as well, mostly due to its enormous heft. It's time to upgrade both.

Here are my criteria for a new keyboard:

1. "Laptop-like" keys -- easy to push, not much noise. I like the flat keys as well, but that's not a necessary.

2. I don't like having a ton of extra buttons. Just the basics. I would like a number pad, but I could even live without that to be honest.

3. The mouse should not be huge, and ideally would have an option to switch from smooth-scrolling to click-scrolling. I love the Logitech VX Revolution that I use with my laptop.

4. Both mouse and keyboard MUST BE WIRELESS. The PC itself is a fair distance from the desktop, so the connection should probably be some sort of receiver that hooks to the PC via USB. Unless a USB receiver can plug directly into the back of the PC and get reception to keyboard and mouse without direct line of sight.

I love Logitech but the keyboard/mouse combos I have found are lacking. Price is not really a concern though obviously less money=better. I'm really not asking for a lot here, am I?

That's Bluetoothwang!

cmoj — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 12:48:28 -0800

Help me get a wireless/bluetooth keyboard and mouse that don't suck. I have MacBook Pro with 10.5.8. I have it hooked up to a home theater screen and want to be able to use either from anywhere in the room (no more than about 30 feet, almost always more like 15).

Theoretically, bluetooth should have plenty of range for this, but the Rocketfish bluetooth combo I have now ranges from annoying to unusable. It lags. I assume this partially has to do with varying interference. The scroll wheel on the mouse and the volume, etc. buttons on the keyboard don't work unless I use the bluetooth dongle it came with, but the connection gets randomly dropped when I use it. This happens anyway, but less often when they're connected directly.
I know the Rocketfish wasn't meant for use with the Mac.

What I want: The number one consideration is reliability and accuracy. I game only moderately, but it makes me flip out when I lose something because my mouse is acting wonky. After that, things like extra mouse buttons and volume/playback control on the keyboard are preferable, but not the top consideration.

I don't care if they come as a combo or not, and within reason I care about quality over price.

Exterminator in NYC

alice ayres — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:59:33 -0800

I need a recommendation for a reputable exterminator in NYC. I would like a recommendation for a reputable exterminator in NYC that also would not break the bank. Maybe if the exterminator has experience with closing holes that would be very helpful. I believe that the cause of this sudden infestation is critters are coming from nearby residents.

My hope is that someone has a great exterminator specializing in mice + roaches that he/she can vouch for.

Keeping the mice away!

Draccy — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:28:13 -0800

Say hello to my little friend: How can I encourage a mouse that seems to live in my glovebox not to visit anymore? I live in a relatively rural area on the Massachusetts border of Connecticut. My car is parked outside by necessity, near a wooded area. I have recently found that napkins kept in my glovebox have been shredded by an animal. To compound matters, feces has been left behind as well. I'd like to use a non-lethal way to discourage the animal or animals in question to stay away from my car, and still be able to keep tissues or napkins in my glovebox for emergencies.

I'd really appreciate any recommendations that you have!

How to fix mouse problems in OS X

backwards guitar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:09:44 -0800

Why doesn't OS X recognize my mouse's middle button click and why does it slow down over clickable objects? I've got a Logitech Bluetooth MX Revolution (part of the Logitech MX 5500 Keyboard/Mouse bundle). The keyboard works fine, and the mouse gets recognized fine, and generally works, but:

1) If I mouse over a clickable object (link, icon in the dock, etc.) the mouse slows down - as if it's aiding me in being able to click (not quite snapping-to the object, but slows down when I mouse over it). I haven't changed anything in Universal Access, and for the most part nothing seems out of the ordinary there (mouse keys off, nothing checked, Initial Delay and Maximum Speed are both on the far left).

2) My middle mouse button doesn't work. It worked briefly, but now not at all - I can scroll just fine with it, but clicking does nothing. I downloaded Steermouse, and the middle click is not being registered there either. I've used the mouse on a Windows machine, and the middle click is fine.

Other notes. I'm running a Fall 2008 Unibody Macbook Pro. I just upgraded to Snow Leopard, and was hoping that'd fix the problem, but no. In Steermouse, problem 1 goes away, which is great, but I'd like to get this working without Steermouse if at all possible. The mouse's other buttons all seem to be fine in Steermouse.

Mostly question two is the one I'd really like answered, as I can live with spending the money on Steermouse if need be. Thanks.

jumpy mouse disease

krautland — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:47:01 -0800

my logitech mouse is jumping around frantically on os x. it's behaving completely normally one second and then it's off somewhere entirely different the other. lots of details inside. I purchased a logitech RX720 mouse a while back without realizing it was meant for windows only. being the hackjob that it is logitech's own control center refused to accept it accordingly and the site didn't provide any drivers. not to worry, macs still let you use such mice, they just don't have customizable a right button. alas, I wanted that right button, so I installed steer mouse, which I was assured was much better. fast forward a week of perfect behavior and my mouse is back to jumping around.

here's what I've tried thus far:

- I have changed batteries.
- I have uninstalled steer mouse and just used 10.4.11 to run the mouse.
- I have changed the surface below the mouse (it's an optical mouse. I tried a black mousepad, a yellow folder, a white piece of paper).
- I've tried to look for obvious smudges though I avoided looking into the laser hole for obvious reasons. or am I being overly cautious?

I'm ready to throw this dreck into the can and accept that this mouse (which sadly I can no longer return) needs to be replaced. other mice previously worked well with my mac book pro. I don't know what the issue is.

you are this little logitech mouse last hope. share ideas of suggest a painless death for it because I am ready to go postal on it.

Firefox + RSS is making me crazy

taubman — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:39:16 -0800

Taming Firefox mouse behavior... After a recent firefox upgrade on my Mac (now running 3.5.2), Firefox now insists on (nearly) instantly showing me the URL for bookmarks in bookmarks toolbar whenever I hover my mouse over one of them. I find this to be really distracting and irritating, especially when im mousing down the list for one of my RSS bookmarks. I'd really like to shut this off, or have it happen with a bit more of a delay when I hover over a bookmark. Any ideas on how to change this behavior?

Please recommend a replacement input device for my Macbook, the trackpad isn't working for me.

Your Time Machine Sucks — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:13:57 -0800

Loathe the new Macbook trackpad in XP, what input device should I use instead that doesn't require a desk and is OK for gaming? New Macbook. The buttonless trackpad takes about twice the force to click as my old Macbook trackpad and after half a day my thumb was going numb. Tap-to-click works fine on the OS X side but is very inaccurate on the XP side even with the updated trackpad driver, more so when the machine gets hot. What kind of input device can I plug in and use to game with no desk around? Wired is a plus, and I don't play twitch games so it doesn't have to be insanely precise, just more precise and ergonomic than the skittish anti-thumb trackpad. Thanks!

how to fix my left-click

cheemee — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:08:36 -0800

laptop filter: the left-click that's built in to my laptop touchpad has been acting up. it has gotten really unsensitive and requires several extremely hard clicks in order to trigger a response (and that only works sometimes). the right-click works totally fine. i have tried using one of those aerosol dust sprayers hoping that it's just dirty inside and the contacts need cleaning, but it dosn't help.

any ideas, help or advice would be much appreciated!

Help me find my ideal micro mouse.

agentmunroe — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:30:16 -0800

I like small mice and I cannot lie... Help me find the ideal mini mouse for my laptop. (WARNING: Mouse geekery contained within!) (Egads, I wrote a ton on this! The important part is the list if you don't want to read my insane mouse ramblings...)

I've been going through a variety of laptop mice over the years, but have recently settled upon this cheap tchotchke from a 2006 conference as my surprising favorite. I've had very mild hand problems over the years and generally prefer the way smaller mice feel in my hand. Attributes specific to this model that I enjoy - it's light and maneuverable, and while the optical sensor is a bit picky, the wheel and mouse buttons are rather stiff, which I love.

Or loved, since I plugged it in this morning and while the sensor lights up, the cursor refuses to move (verified on two computers). Since I liked it so much, I'd like to replace it with something similar. - I wouldn't mind "upgrading" if that's a possibility, or picking up the same one if I can find someplace where I'm not buying 25 of them.

Key attributes, in order of importance:
- something the size of the Tomax mouse
- awesome surface-fu (great optical tracking abilities)
- as close as possible, the attributes I mentioned (small, light, stiff buttons/wheel)
- wireless is a plus, but not required - I realize the battery will weigh the mouse down. Bluetooth would be awesome, but I don't care about it that much.
- cost is not an issue, as I don't mind spending money on something I'll use nearly every day (over $100 would give me pause, but I'd likely still buy if it matches the other criteria)

As an example of something I'm not a huge fan of, I also have a Logitech V470 - it's a bluetooth laptop travel mouse that works well with my MacBook Pro. The main thing is it just feels too large and heavy compared to the mouse, but the buttons are more easier to click as well, which I don't like as much. The wheel is fine, though.

So, now that I've written a small treatise - any suggestions on mice I might like, or leads on where to buy the TOMAX one without getting a caseload? Any assistance appreciated!

Seeking a permanent solution for my Wacom tablet woes.

iamkimiam — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:09:30 -0800

Sometime around the beginning of this year, my Intuos2 Model 0608-U 6"x8" Wacom tablet driver stopped loading upon login and restart. I reinstall it every time I login/restart. All of the tips, tricks, workarounds suggested by both Wacom and Apple do not work. I am running Mac OS 10.5.7. Is there anything left to try? The tablet works after I reinstall. I have tried uninstalling, disk repair, permissions, reinstalling (various versions of the tablet driver) in all possible combinations. Is anybody else having this problem? What has worked for you?

I'm looking for a permanent solution that does not cost $$. I will reinstall indefinitely if I have to, but it is getting tiresome. Thanks!

What's wrong with my mouse?

NorthCoastCafe — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:20:34 -0800

What's wrong with my mouse? All of a sudden my mouse, on highlight and copy functions won't work. It won't highlight a full line, or lines, highlighted text drops out before I can copy, and otherwise is 'slippery.' Do I need a new mouse? Or is this a more systemic problem. The mouse is relatively new, Logitech, low end wired to USB port. I used to have a wireless mouse, it failed and I replaced it with the current cheapo one. I've searched online for the problem but have come up nothing at all helpful. Do I just buy a new mouse, or is there some cache, or file, or option I can fiddle with to fix the problem?

IF I buy a new mouse--what moderately priced one do you recommend?

How to turn off Excel's 'Snap to Cell' when scrolling?!

Merlin144 — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:08:15 -0800

Excel 2007 - How do I stop the scrolling function from jumping to the top/bottom of a cell? This happens using the mouse scroll wheel, when clicking the scroll wheel and moving the mouse (free scroll type of thing), and when using the scroll bars onscreen. I'm using a spreadsheet that has large paragraphs in each cell, and I can't see much of the sheet due to the 'snapping' to the edge of cell that happens each time I scroll. Please help me figure out how to turn off this 'snap to cell' feature so I can scroll wherever I want to!

Easy-touch keyboard and mouse

skwt — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:19:10 -0800

I'm looking for an extremely easy-touch keyboard, and also a mouse with easy-touch buttons. I have a joint condition such that typing (and even using a ratchety scrollwheel) can get quite painful quite quickly. I'm looking for products that require a minimum of pressure to use.

For a keyboard I have been looking at this product and its variants for a while: http://www.virtual-laser-keyboard.com/. I've read/watched some reviews and it seems perfect (it's literally no-touch) except for the fact that it's battery-powered and the battery only lasts a couple hours at most, so it's not perfect as a daily-use appliance. I'll probably still get one anyway though, so I'm wondering if anyone knows of any other problems with it or its clones?

Otherwise, I'm looking for suggestions for extremely easy-touch keyboards.

For a mouse, the main issue is getting one whose scrollwheel scrolls really easily. I currently have a Microsoft (63A-00006) Wireless Laser Mouse 5000 for my desktop, and its wheel is great; I'm buying for a laptop now though and I don't want its huge USB plug-in thing. One more requirement for a mouse is left-right symmetry, because I use my left hand most of the time but not always.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks very much.

Alternatives to the program Synergy (keyboard and mouse over network)?

wastelands — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:15:24 -0800

Alternatives to the program Synergy (keyboard and mouse over network)? When I first got Synergy, I loved it. It was like magic.

But I've left the honeymoon phase and discovered some really frustrating bugs. On my Windows machines, the copy/paste will often by very delayed, or I'll have to move the cursor from A to B to A to B machines to get it to paste. Also the cursor frequently gets "stuck" for a few seconds between machines.

I came to find out that Synergy is not being maintained at all. It's a 3-year old build! WTF?

Can anyone recommend programs that work at least as good as Synergy, preferably those that are open source and multi-platform?

Thanks!

Bluetooth mouse that goes into wired mode?

floam — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:38:56 -0800

I'm looking for Bluetooth mice which can be used while being recharged. Been bugging me for years. I don't understand how the big mice makers have somehow skipped over this, but you basically can't buy a wireless mouse that you can use while you charge it. You must set them in cradles. (or swap out fricking AA batteries!) The solution is simple: have a USB cable plug into the mouse to charge it and use it as a wired mouse until it's done.

I found, last year, exactly one company that did make a mouse that does this finally. Unfortunately it looks rather cheap. So: can anybody else find another manufacturer that makes these? My only rules are that they be Bluetooth (not using an RF dongle) and that they be usable as they recharge. I'll probably buy the Radtech one if they're truly the only company with common sense.

What's the best trackball replacement for a despondent Microsoft Trackball Explorer lover?

sjthomp — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:06:10 -0800

Please recommend a replacement for my dying Microsoft Trackball Explorer, which I love as though it were my own child. My Trackball Explorer is dying a slow, jittery death. I've clung to it as long as I could, but it's become almost impossible to use.

I know I'm not the only one who loves this trackball, given the prices that used ones command on eBay. Can any of you fellow Trackball Explorer lovers who've lost yours to the ravages of old age tell me what you replaced it with, and what you thought of the replacement?

ProductFilter: Looking for a ~2ft high table to put over my lap to put keyboard/mouse on

catquas — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:55:44 -0800

I am trying to find/make a table that is about 2 feet high that I can put my keyboard and mouse on. The depth is irrelevant, but the length shouldn't be longer than say 4 feet. Also, would like it not to have any cross-beams or anything so I can stretch my legs out under it. A table bit enough to put a computer on also might be helpful, but I could also put my computer on a different table. If I did the latter, than the table would not have to be that sturdy.

The ideal for me would be a fold-up table, but that's not necessary. I am also willing to build one as a last resort, but nothing that takes much more than putting some nails or screws in a couple of places (Home Depot) can cut the wood.

Adjustable-height legs would be ideal.

I need this for the sake of getting a good ergonomic position.

Above all I am looking for something very simple and cheap, as long

Thanks in advance!

An annoying cursor issue!

magnoliasouth — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:10:28 -0800

Please help me get my WinXP cursor (mouse AND keyboard) to work properly again. Here's what happens... I'll turn the computer on, log onto my user account and all goes fine... for a while. Then suddenly, for no apparent reason, the cursor just stops working. It doesn't matter if I use keyboard shortcuts, or a mouse, it just won't work. Sometimes it happens in five minutes, sometimes in sixty minutes, but it will just stop working altogether. I can't even shut down the computer. I have to just turn it off, which is not good for a Windows machine. Once it reboots, it will start all over again.

I have no idea where to start in trying to fix this issue. It began out of the blue. I made no changes whatsoever. No new downloads, nothing.

I have a XP w/SP2 (I have not upgraded to SP3 due to the bug issues it had, Windows is buggy enough without adding to it) Media Center Edition 2002; eMachine T6532; Intel Celeron CPU 440 @ 2.00GHz 0.99 GB

Is there anything else I need to post here to find out what to do?